


The Fruits of Many Labors

by apeppermint



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Ficlet, Future Fic, Gen, Nostalgia, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 17:35:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10701807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apeppermint/pseuds/apeppermint
Summary: In Professor Layton's office, he's saved many things.





	The Fruits of Many Labors

**Author's Note:**

> A little ficlet. The announcement and information about the new Layton game made me a bit nostalgic! This will shortly be an AU once the game comes out and we know the details of Katrielle and Layton's relationship proper. Not beta-ed.

In Professor Layton's office, he's saved many things.

On his book and paper-strewn desk, he has photos in displays. In his drawers, he houses keepsakes. On his wall, he has put a map, where each place he's visited has been pinned. It's a recent addition. It has, after all, been many years since he's been capable of traveling often.

It's a little quiet these days. The phone doesn't ring as much anymore. Neither does he receive as many mysterious letters from old friends with great puzzles needing to be solved. He still receives letters, of course. Countless, from those who are fans and those are grateful, and from those who have loved him over the years.

Luke writes often. Flora writes more. Life has carried the both of them off to great things. Sometimes they even visit for weeks at a time, and Luke, who's gone from a wide-eyed boy to a passionate man with a thirst for adventure, is always curious about news of curious things. His accent's dwindled, which Layton finds humorous. Living across the way has made it slight, an undercurrent. They have families. Their time is theirs. 

Emmy writes, too. It is his happiness that she has finally found her own. 

His is his professorship, and his little family. He has failed here and there with it, he was never good at balancing home and work, but Alfendi and himself had settled on something. When Lucy comes over, grinning up a storm, it brings about a wave of nostalgia so powerful Layton almost has to sit down. He is overjoyed all the same, because, when Alfendi gets irritated, tosses a bit of well-deserved abuse his direction, Lucy calls him "Potty" and tells him off. The tension is there, but it's good. 

Katrielle just rolls her eyes at it. 

"Come off it, Al! She's right to call you potty. Now, tell me about that Mystery Room of yours." Alfendi and her bicker. That is his little joy. 

Katrielle is often in his office, begging to hear of old "cases," as she prefers to call them. "Adventures" as Luke would rather. She wants to hear of retired Inspector Chelmey and Grosky. Of curious villages and diabolical boxes. Dirigible rides around the world; time travel. Masked gentlemen and golden gardens. He has told her same tales time and time again, but she never grows tired of them. She tests her mettle with his puzzles; and she tries to beat him at his own game with hers. 

He is content with his old age. But sometimes he looks on it all. At his spares of top hats, at his pictures of Claire, which his wife knows of, though she never says a word about; of Luke's cap on his hat stand, which had been given to him as a present on Luke's graduation from university; at the flowers that Flora sends, scattered around his office, which inevitably wither no matter how hard his cleaning ladies try and keep them alive. Sentimentality rolls off the place, even in the so-called "artifacts" that he has gathered together in his holy space. All gifts. An ocarina; an empty box; and such.

Pictures of long-gone friends from all his adventures. Of Desmond Sycamore and Aurora. Of Loosha. Of Andrew. Of Anton. Of two family pictures. It is hard to look on those, sometimes.

But then students file into his office, burning with questions, and his colleagues come in with questions about history, about particular finds and particular journals, and he is easily distracted from these things.

And it's strange how still being called "professor" by Luke, even after all these years, makes him feel like time has barely moved at all.


End file.
